Quality of life in patients before and after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation measured with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Core Questionnaire QLQ-C30

Abstract

The EORTC Quality of Life Core Questionnaire QLQ-C30 is widely used, but no reference values are available for patients receiving HSCT. We retrieved data for 38 samples from 33 papers in English and German that provided evaluable information on QLQ-C30 scores (mean, s.d.) covering about 2800 patients. Results are presented as a table that provides reference data that allow QLQ-C30 scores at different points during the disease trajectory to be put in context. With respect to their central tendency and their variance, scores vary over time. Quality of life is lowest during inpatient time. About 1 year after HSCT, the pre-transplant level is reached. Physical functioning is the scale reaching the highest level of all scales. Fatigue, dyspnoea and insomnia are symptoms that remain at an elevated level and should thus be considered as persisting problems after HSCT. For the interpretation of differences between scores, a very conservative recommendation would be to set the s.d. at 30 points. Doing so, one could be quite sure of having found a clinically significant change if the difference of two scores exceeds 15 points. Differences below 5 points should be interpreted with caution.

Occupational status among adult survivors following allo-SCT

“…8 However, there are several methodological problems with previous studies investigating RTW in SCT patients. First, many studies combine results from auto-and allo-SCT patients, 18,19 which is not optimal because the quality-of-life scores 20 and RTW rates seems to differ significantly between those groups. 7,21 Second, occupational status before SCT is either unknown 8,14,17,[22][23][24] or gathered just before the SCT, 18,19,21 which is misleading because many patients at that time point are on sick leave because of consolidation treatments.…”

Qualidade De Vida Nos Primeiros Seis Meses Pós-Transplante De Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas

“…22 In Brazil, studies using the QLQ-C30 indicate prevalence of fatigue, insomnia and loss of appetite, with fatigue being the most present and persistent symptom over time. 3,29 Loss of appetite was more intense in the autologous group in the pre-HSCT stage and in the allogeneic group in the post 100-day stage. However, the averages become equal in the post 180-day stage.…”

“…This study found that overall QoL is reduced during hospitalization, but it recovers to the baseline level up to one year after transplantation. 29 In Spain, a study that evaluated the QoL of 39 adult patients submitted to HSCT at the baseline, post two months and post nine months showed that general QoL is worse at two months compared to at baseline; however, it improves at nine months, thereby confirming a positive evolution throughout the therapeutic process. This same study makes a comparison between autologous and allogeneic HSCT, concluding that the type of transplantation did not influence QoL in the three stages.…”

“…It should be noted that the maximum score is 100, which suggests that good physical recovery occurs over time with an average at the stage post 180 days recovered and higher than those at baseline. According to the literature, 29 pre-transplantation levels are reached between seven and 12 months after transplantation. However, it is important to preserve the patient's physical function during the hospitalization period.…”

A cross-sectional study on vision-related quality of life in patients with ocular GvHD

“…1 International guidelines recommend a multidisciplinary approach to supportive care and management of the organspecific complications of the chronic GvHD (cGvHD). 2 The main purpose of the treatment is to obtain the effective control of GvHD while minimizing the risk of drug toxicity and relapse.…”